Guitar bought by Beatle at discount in Illinois could fetch $600K at auction

Beatles George Harrison guitar up for auction

Julien's Auctions

The Beatles with George Harrison's Rickenbacker guitar.

The Beatles with George Harrison's Rickenbacker guitar. (Julien's Auctions)

Carlos SadoviTribune reporter

Back in 1963, Gabe McCarty was living in downstate Benton and playing bass for the Four Vests when he got a call from a woman whose younger brother was visiting after scoring a hit in England.

The woman was Louise Harrison and her younger brother, George, was visiting just as The Beatles were hitting it big in England.

McCarty had just been laid off from his sheet metal job, and he and his band were playing country music and early rock and roll at dances at VFW halls and other places.

McCarty took her up on her invitation and met the 20-year-old Harrison. He had his band's hit, "From Me To You,"with him and listened to it in the living room of the sister's home.

"He had long hair. He was real polite and well-mannered, that's the thing I noticed about him," McCarty said by phone Friday.

As they got to know each other, Harrison asked McCarty if he knew anyone who had a Rickenbacker electric guitar for sale because he wanted one like his bandmate, John Lennon. McCarty took him to Fenton's Music Shop in nearby Mount Vernon.

"He wanted one like John had," McCarty, 81, said. "He said he'd like to buy one while he was in the United States."

At the music shop, which has long since closed, McCarty convinced the owner, Lester "Red" Fenton, to give him a break on the price and Harrison bought the 1962 Rickenbacker 425 for between $400 and $500.

"I told Red, 'You give this guy a good deal.' He gave him a musician's discount and a little bit more," McCarty recalled.

The black-and-white electric guitar will be auctioned off next weekend at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City and is expected to fetch between $400,000 and $600,000, according to Julien's Auctions.

"It's quite a bit of money," he said with a laugh.

When Harrison spotted the guitar, it had a Fireglo red finish. Harrison told the owner, who has since died, that he needed a black guitar to match Lennon's black Rickenbacker.

"Fenton said if you leave it here for a week, I'll make sure it's black when you come back after it," said McCarty.

While waiting for the guitar, Harrison tagged along with McCarty and the Fourth Vests as they played local gigs. McCarty said they played Hank Williams tunes and other country hits. They also played "Roll Over Beethoven," "Johnny B. Goode" and "Your Cheatin’ Heart," with Harrison carrying lead vocals, McCarty remembered.

"He was good. His style of playing, sometimes he would be a little rough on the guitar and sometimes he was smooth," said McCarty. "He was a good musician, he didn't make no mistakes. His singing was real good."

Harrison and the Beatles had not yet made it big in the United States. That would happen the following year with their appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. When he was in Benton, the Beatles had a hit in England and wanted one in the States.

"He said he'd like to get a hit in the United States. . .He said he'd like to get one in Illinois because the state is about as big as England," McCarty recalled. "He got his wish, he got the hit."

Harrison, who died in 2001 at age 58, played the guitar on 1963 appearances on British TV shows "Ready Steady Go!" and "Thank Your Lucky Stars," months before the group brought Beatlemania to the United States on the Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964, launching the British invasion of rock bands.

The guitar was also used during sessions when the band recorded "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "This Boy" in October 1963.

Harrison later gave the guitar to friend and musician George Peckham, who played it in an appearance on the British TV show "Top of the Pops" with the band the Fourmost.

In 1964, as the Beatles were touring the States for the first time, Harrison invited McCarty up to their show in Chicago. He said they rented a whole motel and remembers joining the Fab Four as they watched a simulcast of their performance on a television set in their room.

"They were in their pajamas on a bed watching their performance. They had one big one, all four were besides each other," said McCarty. "He took me around and introduced me and I shook hands with all of them. He was real easy to talk to."

He said they called for refreshments and a "whole cart" of liquor was brought up and he had a few beers with them. He said he was amazed by the Beatlemania that surrounded them.

Even with the fame, Harrison seemed as polite and well-mannered as always. He and Paul McCartney talked about bass playing and Ringo seemed to be the one who was most giddy from all the attention. He said John Lennon was more distant.

"He had a weak handshake," said McCarty who lives in West Frankfort and still plays music. "I just enjoyed meeting them all."